Реферат: The Impact Of Snowboarding On Retail Marketing

current assets went from $6,607,000 to $31,179,000 in the same time

period. Net sales for both companies went up dramatically in the

past five years also. Ride has seen a net sales increase of 611.2%

while Morrow?s sales have increase 74%. (These figures are

directly from the company records of both companies.)

The cost of snowboards is one reason that sales have gone up for

these companies and it is also another reason for the popularity of

snowboarding as compared to skiing. If Joe Public sixteen-year-old

wants to start snowboarding he is going to need to get himself

some equipment. The average cost of a complete setup, which

includes a snowboard, bindings that hold the board to the feet of

the rider, and boots, costs around $450 according to Transworld

Snowboarding 1996 buyers guide. If the same kid would want to

set himself up with a ski package he would have to get the skis,

bindings, boots, poles, goggles, neon ski-outfit (required for

skiers), and multiple other flashy accessories. The average cost of

a new ski setup is around $850 according to Ski magazine 1996

buyers guide. It is clearly cheaper to get into snowboarding. This

price advantage of snowboards over skis is much more attractive

to the average teenager who probably doesn?t have much money

anyway. It is also more attractive to Mom and Dad to spend less

on a snowboard than skis.

Sepp Kobler, the manager of Freestyle Sports in Charlottseville,

said that five years ago snowboards and accessories accounted

for about 5% of all sales in the shop. Now it accounts for close to

30%. Kobler feels that if it were not for the dramatic increase in

snowboarding he would have had a hard time keeping the shop

open. "Kids are into it, and so are there folks, its cheaper, its more

fun, and its easier to learn" says Kobler. A sales clerk at Bear